Change Of Heart
by Dream Instant
Summary: Crunch has been in the bad side before, listening to Cortex's orders and obeying them, but thanks to some heroic deeds, he was saved. However, little did everyone know about what happened way before he was used as a super weapon by Cortex. In a world where everything has a beginning, stories from a remote past are told and one cannot simply let bygones by bygones.
1. Chapter 1: Echoes of the Past

_I'm officially back! Okay, to be honest, I never left because I have been commenting and lurking around here ever since I finished CB: Good Meets Evil. **This IS NOT the sequel of Good Meets Evil that I promised.**__It's a totally different story, and it will be short... maybe 8 chapters or 6. It could be more than that depending on how many things I come up with. The reason why I am writing a new story while planning my story's sequel is because I am really motivated to write right now, and I thought, why not make a fanfic about Crunch's creation or something like that? And so I did because Crunch is my favorite character in the series.  
_

_I bet you're asking yourselves what do I have in mind for CB: GME's sequel. Well, all I can say is that there is going to be a lot of time traveling... Anyway, enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Echoes of the past**

Think about yourself, roaming around a place full of beaches and sands, minding your own business. Your mind is in blank, not focused on any thought at the moment because you're too distracted by your surroundings and the sound of waves splashing. And when you less expect it, that one memory that hasn't come to your mind in such a long, long time invades your thoughts. Soon, you are lost in a flashback, recalling every single detail and when you want to escape it, you find yourself not being able to stop remembering.

Have you ever wished to stop remembering a memory that makes your mind spin every time you think of it? It is not that simple. At least for someone, it is FAR from being simple...

That tall, burgundy bandicoot you see walking around the beach isn't just any bandicoot. That bandicoot has a story behind him. A long story that began years ago when he came to be and found a family to live with.

Crunch hasn't been the 'do nothing and be lazy' type of person, for the size of his body shows that he is an avid weightlifter, interested in being healthy and in shape. He spends half of his time doing these workouts that left Crash and Coco thinking if it was possible for someone to have so much strength. When he is around them and Aku Aku, you could say he is a person with good manners. He does not tolerate misbehavior nor bad mannerism, and that's why you see him constantly complaining about Crash being too lazy and not cleaning up his messes such as his own room. Still, the kind-hearted bandicoot is thankful because if it wasn't for him, Coco, and Aku Aku, he wouldn't be where he is today. He wouldn't even be walking around this island full of beaches, animals, and forests. Where would he be instead? Let's just say that he would be somewhere else, under the control of a certain evil scientist. Despite having these traits, he has a ''soft side'' of his own, being someone that breaks down in tears if he has to and has these times where he feels weak, in need of someone to help when feeling as if he were drowning in a pool of sorrow.

''Crash, open the door!'' He gently knocked on his home's front door, but there was no answer. Crunch wondered if Crash wasn't home, but it was impossible because when he goes out, he always tells him and Aku Aku. ''On with it, fool! I told you to leave the door unlocked for me!''

He sighed heavily when he looked through the glass window and found Crash sleeping on the couch. Looks like he was going to be locked out of the house for a while, and Coco couldn't do anything because she has her own house now. Crunch remembered when she told him that she had to do it because of Crash's ''destructive nature'' or something like that. It sounded silly to him.

The burgundy bandicoot accepted the fact that he was going to be locked out for a while and sat on the green grass for a couple of minutes. After that, he lay on the ground, drifting off to sleep moments later and finding himself in a totally different world inside his mind. In a world full of events that took place years ago...

* * *

_''Lift your head and look at me.''_

_The voice echoed through his ears, but the worst part was that he didn't recognize it._

_The burgundy bandicoot lying on that cold metal table couldn't see well for a moment. Though his vision was blurry, he could tell that he was in a dimly lit room and the person standing before him was someone that he has never seen in his life. The better question was: how did he get here? Why is he here? All he remembers is being brought here inside a cage and getting zapped by a strange machine which left his entire body burning of the pain he was feeling. Now, he was here for no reason, but he was indeed scared. How would it feel like being taken from your own home and brought into a random scientist's lab?_

_''I'm your master, and you will listen to me, bandicoot. Look up!''_

_The bandicoot's vision was clear and could see everything else. Of course, how could his own vision lie to him? He really was in a place very far away from his home. This is real and so is the scientist with an 'N' on his forehead standing before him. However, why is it that all of a sudden that guy is forcing him to obey him and do whatever he says? Trying to find some answers, he sat up on the table and stared him down._

_''Wh-who are you? Why am I... here?''_

_Before the scientist could reply, more people entered the room. One of them was this weird animal which consisted of a crossover of a dingo and a crocodile. At least that's what the burgundy bandicoot thought. Another one of them was a potoroo holding a weapon, a big and tall tasmanian tiger and a man with a missile on his head. More people inside that room didn't help, for he was even more scared. Scared at what might be coming to him later on._

_''So, this is the new guy, huh?'' The potoroo chuckled. ''Really? Don't waste your breath on him, Cortex. I don't expect anything from him.''_

_''Silence, Pinstripe! This is just the beginning'' The scientist replied, thus silencing him. He turned his attention to his latest creation lying on that metal table. ''To answer your question, I'm Dr. Neo Cortex, your leader and your master.''_

_''C-Cortex...'' The burgundy bandicoot paused. ''My master?''_

_''Yes'' He responded. ''Now, it's your turn.'' _

_''I-I...'' He was totally speechless. What was he supposed to say to him? He didn't even know his own name after all. _

_''I see that you don't have a name for yourself. Why don't we choose one, eh? I'll give you the opportunity to think about one.''_

_He wasn't thinking about names at this moment. That's the last thing he needed to think of as the only thing he wanted was an answer to all of his questions. Judging by the potoroo's comments about him, things aren't going to be good from now for him._

_''Nothing? I'll give you a hand'' Cortex started to think as he walked back and forth. ''Let's call you Crunch. Crunch Bandicoot.''_

_''Yes. Crunch...'' The burgundy bandicoot looked at him and nodded. He actually liked that name and thought that it was the perfect one for him. Once again, he asked him the same question. ''Where am I, Neo? Why did you do this to me?'' _

_''Do you even have recollection of what you just got through?'' Crunch shook his head yes. He wasn't that naive, but he just wanted a few questions answered. ''I brought you to my castle located in these islands. Trust me, you aren't that far away from home. You were brought from the jungles of these islands. You will know the reason why you're here later. I won't tell you for now.''_

_Crunch slowly got up from the table and felt his feet touch the ground as he stood up from there. Cortex's henchmen backed away from him to give him some space, but Cortex remained close to him. ''I have to go now.''_

_''Take it easy'' He gently pushed him, making him sit down on the table again. ''You just got evolved, Crunch. As your creator, I have to make sure you get used to your new body before even trying something like that.''_

_The burgundy bandicoot didn't listen to him. That guy thought he could just bring him here, turn him into an anthropomorphic bandicoot and give him orders as if he were his boss. That's a no-no for him. He stood up once again, and Cortex just let him do his thing because he accepted the fact that making him sit there is an order that he will never follow. He and his henchmen backed away a little, giving him space once again. When he walked a few steps, he saw a mirror in front of him, revealing his physical attributes. He was a tall bandicoot with a body that could easily crush someone just by touching them. To say the least, he was surprised at how he looked, but there was only one thing that could explain this: genetic alteration. That's all he could think of to explain all of this. _

_''Everything happens for a reason'' Cortex said as he stood beside Crunch, and his own reflection could be seen in the mirror as well. Dingodile, Pinstripe, N. Gin and Tiny were still there, listening to every word they said to each other. ''I will tell you soon.''_

_Crunch couldn't control his temper anymore. He was getting angrier and angrier with Cortex by the fact that he still couldn't hear any answers. Who was he to take him away from his home and bring him here for no reason? He looked at Cortex and growled softly at him. He grabbed him by his neck and lifted him up as he struggled to get out of his strong grip, but he couldn't. Cortex had no doubt that he just created a bandicoot with super strength._

_''I want to know the truth now!'' He snarled. ''If you don't want me to do something worse than this, then speak!''_

_The dingo and crocodile hybrid quickly went over to help Cortex by grabbing his flamethrower and hitting Crunch with it on his back. The burgundy bandicoot groaned and fell forwards, letting Cortex go. He sat up on the ground and looked at him and his henchmen with fear. At this point, he almost regretted doing that because it just made the problem ten times worse._

_''I told you this was a bad one, Cortex'' Pinstripe said. ''He won't last that long here.''_

_''Enough, Pinstripe! I know what I'm doing'' Cortex looked at Crunch. ''I see you're not the obedient kind, huh? I guess we'll have to fix that. Gentlemen! Tell Brio to prepare the Cortex Vortex! I have some work to do.''_

_Crunch felt his heart race of the nervousness. He either stayed inside that castle to suffer or found a way to get out of here as soon as possible. The second option sounded better for him, so he got up and made a run for it. He thought escaping was that easy, but the truth was that the entrance of the room he was in was guarded by Cortex's lab assistants, which stopped him from getting out of there. Crunch panicked, and although he could have fought them off so easily, he was prevented from doing so when he felt something sting his body, thus making him drop to the floor. Turns out that one of Cortex's henchmen shot him with a tranquilizer gun, making him feel dizzy after a while as his vision was becoming blurry. He was just seconds away from passing out, and he saw Cortex kneeling on the ground close to his face, looking at him._

_''Wake up!'' He said. ''Crunch, wake up!''_

* * *

''Wake up!''

He opened his eyes and quickly sat up on the ground, feeling like he just returned to the real world. He was relieved after finding out that this movie inside his head was not real and seeing his guardian mask there floating before him.

''Don't be scared. It's just me, Aku Aku'' He said, noticing that he woke up all scared. ''I'm guessing you had a bad dream, right?''

''Sort of'' Crunch replied as he got up from the ground. ''Yes, I did. At least it's over.''

''Why don't you come inside?''

The burgundy bandicoot nodded and followed him inside, still thinking about that dream. Why did he dream that? He doesn't know, but he just ignored it and kept on with his life. It's not the first time he dreams something like this, but there is no doubt that his own mind is telling him that he cannot evade reality. A reality that tells him that he has a story of his own.


	2. Chapter 2: Evolved

_Sorry for the delay! Blame the excess schoolwork, and thank heavens for spring break! You will notice that throughout the story, the point of view will change. First, the chapter might start with a third person point of view (narrator) and then it will switch to first person (Crunch) or vice versa. Disfruten el capítulo, lectores! **(TRANSLATION: Enjoy the chapter, readers!) **_

_Cheers_

_- Dream Instant_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Evolved**

The dense jungles of the island hide so many secrets which can only be discovered by someone who visits them. Who knows what kind of animal is hiding behind a bush watching every single step you take? Who knows when is that Venus Fly Trap going to come out of nowhere and try to bite whoever walks past it to satisfy its hunger? Despite these things, no one dares to disturb the peace of any life form in the jungles nor any part of the island. Everyone who resides in these islands has respect for the wildlife, flora and the environment, but of course... there's always an exception...

''This one is perfect.''

The scientist seemed so enthusiastic about his idea. He thought about the future and knew that if he did it, things will turn out like the way he wants them to. That burgundy colored bandicoot that he found roaming around the jungles of the island was the key to success. He couldn't wait to start, so he opened a cage that he brought and knelt on the ground as the bandicoot backed away from him slowly.

''Come on now. Get in'' He said, but the bandicoot didn't move. Desperate to get this over with, he quickly grabbed him before he could run away and locked him inside the cage. ''Don't worry, little one. Once I make a few 'modifications' to you, you'll be just fine.''

The sound of thunder made Cortex jump. It was going to be yet another stormy afternoon, which was no surprise for him because this type of weather is expected sometimes in these islands. He knew he had to go to his castle as soon as possible before it begins to rain.

* * *

On a stormy afternoon, the Cortex Castle was silent. Brio was probably working with a bunch of potions and different liquids, and the rest were nowhere to be found. Cortex is probably doing his business with whatever he is up to right now, he thought. He has not seen Cortex in the castle since this morning, which is weird because he always notifies him whenever he's going out and tells him where he is going, but he didn't say a word today. Speaking of Cortex, he has been really busy lately and Brio himself doesn't know why. For some reason, he has been hanging around his lab and the Evolvo-Ray quite a lot. Is he planning something new?

''Oh, this is g-going to turn out g-'' The beaker slipped and fell off his hand, leaving a huge mess on the floor. ''Not again!''

At that moment, Cortex entered the room and Brio noticed him. He hid the beakers and everything else to avoid having to provide explanations.

''Oh, it's you! Wh-where have you been?'' He asked. ''I h-haven't seen you since this m-morning!''

Cortex didn't respond. He smirked at him and left the room. He returned several minutes later with a cage on his hand and he put it on the ground in front of Brio. Brio knelt on the ground to see what Cortex brought in. To his surprise, it was another bandicoot. But, why? Last time he brought in a bandicoot, it ran away and refused to be loyal to him in any kind of way. Who knows if the one he just brought in right now will be different. Brio senses that trouble is coming, but he tried to not think about it.

''As you can see, I have been really busy.''

''C-Cortex? A b-bandicoot?'' He asked.

''Yes! He's going to be a killing machine once I'm done with him'' The confident scientist replied as he stared at the burgundy bandicoot, who stared at him too, frightened. ''Just imagine all the things that we could do.''

''Oh, b-but Cortex. D-Don't you understand? The last th-thing we need is another bandicoot jumping out of a window!''

''None of that is going to happen, Brio. Not this time.''

''Cortex...''

''Is the Evolvo-Ray working?''

''Indeed it is.''

''Well, we have a lot of work to do tonight.''

* * *

**9:00 PM**

Some say that nighttime is a mystery. You never know what will happen during that time. You never know whether or not you will live until morning. At least for a certain someone, it's different, for he doesn't know if he will see the light of the day.

And who was that person? ...

''Come on, Brio! There's no time to waste!''

''Cortex, wait a few minutes. Th-the Evolvo-Ray is not ready yet. We c-can't proceed!''

And Cortex, just like he usually does, paid no heed to what he said. He proceeded and let the laser beam stun the bandicoot's body, which brightness almost blinded him and Brio. To their surprise, nothing happened. The bandicoot looked the same, except that it was breathing heavily from the pain it felt.

''I have never seen something like this before in my life as a scientist!'' Cortex said in shock. ''How is it possible for the Evolvo-Ray to fail at evolving a subject?''

''D-Doctor, you must w-wait a few minutes. It's not ready to be used. Th-that's why n-nothing happened.''

Cortex shook his head and went over to the Evolvo-Ray. Though it seemed risky, he tried again for a second time. Brio noticed what he was doing and instantly panicked.

''YOU'LL KILL HIM!''

Brio spoke too late, because the laser had already been fired by the Evolvo-Ray. When they looked at the bandicoot again, he wasn't an ordinary bandicoot anymore, for he was a humanoid animal with a body so muscular that he could crush a metal wall.

''Oh, my... what have I created?'' Cortex asked himself as he saw the burgundy bandicoot tied to that metal table, astonished by his height.

''A bandicoot w-with super strength'' Brio replied as he examined the bandicoot's information in the computer. ''B-But according to this, he is weak at the moment. Have you got anything in m-mind to regain his st-strength?''

''Of course! With further genetic enhancement, it will be possible to turn him into a killing machine'' He noticed that the humanoid did not open his eyes, which worried both Cortex and Brio because the last thing they needed was yet another failed experiment. ''Is he alive, though? Brio, what kind of trick are you trying to pull?!''

''I-I did nothing. Th-the Evolvo Ray must have c-c-caused this. I w-warned you about it not being ready to b-be used. If you listened to me, n-none of this would have h-happened.''

''Perfect! Another plan ruined!'' The frustrated scientist said, and he went over to take a look at the computer with all of the bandicoot's information. ''Leave him there. He will wake up later. The Evolvo Ray must have sucked all the energy out of him, but on the meanwhile, the computer will monitor his physiological processes. Ever thought of giving him a name?''

''I just kn-knew there was s-something missing! Yes, a n-name! But he's your c-c-creation, so I'll l-leave that to you.''

It was really difficult to think of name. He has had so many creations that he cannot figure out a name for this one. Mash? Crush? No, that's not it. He thought and thought, scratching his chin for a couple of minutes until he finally had a great idea. Brio saw him type away on the computer and looked over his shoulder.

''Well, I suppose you f-finally came up with s-something, eh?''

''Crunch.''

The two scientists went through the subject's information once again, which read:

_Name: Crunch Bandicoot_

_Gender: Male_

_Age: 24_

_Species: Bandicoot __(__Peramelemorphia_ _order)_

_Abilities: Enhanced strength_

_Outward appearance: Tall, muscular, burgundy-colored fur_

_Status: Successfully evolved_

* * *

Morning hit the island in just a matter of hours. You'd be surprised by how quiet it is out there. The morning is always peaceful, but only in Cortex Island you can hear the voices of many individuals planning their malignant schemes, slowly scaring away the peace and harmony with their threats...

**Crunch's P.O.V**

I was lying on that metal table, slowly regaining consciousness after being zapped by the Evolvo Ray. I opened my eyes a little and saw three individuals looking at me, but I didn't even know who they were. I didn't know where I was and why was I taken here. All I remembered was being taken by a yellow-skinned man to this lab trapped inside a cage, and after that, him and someone who was probably his assistant strapped me to a metal table. The pain was inevitable and so was the torture I went through, but I was forced to stay there until some laser beam zapped my entire body. Then, it's suddenly morning and I'm here strapped to the same metal table from the night before. That's all I could remember. Don't ask me about anything regarding my life before being taken out of the jungle, because I have zero recollection.

Wait... something is not right, I thought to myself. I was doing things that I never thought I could do before. I could think like a human, I felt like a human, and I understood every single word these three people that were there with me said. How was that even possible? Was I turned into a human? Although it looked like it, I wasn't. To confirm that, I looked at my arms to find that my fur was still present and even noticed that my muzzle was still there, so it's safe to say that I was still a bandicoot. However, I noticed that my body was muscular and had this human-like shape. Once again, I asked myself what in the world was going on with me.

''Is he waking up?'' The crocodile and dingo crossover asked.

''Shhhh! Speak lower, you idiot!'' Replied the koala. Not knowing him that much, I automatically thought he was annoying. Also, there was this weird blue kangaroo with us that didn't say anything. All he did was laugh, which I assumed it was his 'language'.

''Dingodile, Koala Kong. Get out!'' The scientist entered the room, and the three turned around to see him. ''And please take Ripper Roo with you. I just don't want you three messing something up. As for Brio, we have a lot of things to do.''

After they finished fooling around for a while, they left. It was just me, Brio, and Cortex. I was scared to say the least because I was thinking that they were going to do something else to make me suffer. After what happened the day before, the last thing I needed was more trouble. The first thing they did was untie me and make me sit, which was great because it meant that I wasn't going to suffer anymore.

''So, my newest creation ... you finally woke up from your beauty sleep'' His creation? This guy was out of his mind, I thought. ''First of all, let me introduce myself. I'm Dr. Neo Cortex, your master and evil scientist.''

''M-Master? I don't know what you're talking about'' Wait, I can talk? I was surprised by the fact that I said a complete sentence.

''Let me show you'' He held out a mirror, and I saw my reflection on it. I now understood everything that was going on with me, but was that it? Can I return home now? Or am I trapped in here forever?

''I... I have to go now'' I stood up from there and walked towards the door, but two of his lab assistants didn't let me through.

''Where do you think you're going? You just got here.''

''Home.''

''You are home, and you'll be here for a long time to help me achieve world domination.''

Was he going to leave me here? That was a big no for me because I value my own freedom, and this is not freedom. He doesn't deserve my help nor assistance for whatever he is up to. I was so furious that I punched the two lab assistants and broke the door with my own fists. Then, I made a run for it. I did not stop to wonder why I was so strong because others things were more important to me at that moment, but I still couldn't believe that I had this ability. I ran down stairs, but then I was out of luck once I saw a lot of lab assistants blocking my way. I turned around, and Cortex was there with Brio and more lab assistants. There was nowhere to run. I was doomed. The only thing I saw was a window that I could jump out of, which was a fantastic idea to me. Could I swim, though? I didn't think so, but I had to try because I had no other choice.

''What are you thinking?'' Cortex asked. ''Oh, don't tell me! I already know! You're going to jump out there just like someone else did a few years ago!''

''What if I am?'' I replied.

''Go ahead. You'll just drown and die anyway because I didn't give you the ability to swim! Plus, no one is out there to help you!"

I didn't care to be honest. I just wanted to get out of there even if I had to risk my life. Cortex could torture me, chain me, and even lock me in a cage, but there's no stopping me. I took a few steps back to pick up speed to run and jump out, breathing the fresh air coming from outside. How desperate I was to see something else rather than four castle walls.

One, two, three...

* * *

I could have escaped. I could have made a run for it once I counted to three and jumped, but there I was again inside that lab, waking up after getting shot with what I thought was a tranquilizer. Cortex was there too with his minions and with Uka Uka, and they just stared at me like I did something wrong.

''You refuse to be loyal to me, huh? That's not a good action you're taking as the leader of my army, which is right here standing before you'' Cortex said. ''I'm disappointed.''

''Heh, heh, heh... Doctor, this guy isn't going to last that long'' N. Gin said, and I actually agreed with him. Maybe I wasn't going to last that long here because death was closer than ever for me. Heck, I wasn't even sure at that moment if I was going to be alive by tomorrow. ''Give up on him.''

''Nonsense'' The evil voodoo mask spoke out. ''Cortex, Brio. You will work with him as I say, and I will make sure that you do it right!''

Then, he turned his attention to me. ''And you, Crunch... save your energy for later. Soon, you will be facing a real adversary!''


End file.
